You are trying to impress your guests with your favorite souffle recipe but you can’t get rid of that nagging question – are porcelain bowls oven safe?
Time is of the essence and you need to find out before you put your ramekins in the oven – now!
You know if you make the wrong move at this point you could open the oven door to find a culinary explosion. Do not fear, help is here.
There are ways that you can quickly determine if your porcelain bowl can take the heat.
Read on so you can be sure that your beautiful (and oven-safe) bowl is going to look great and your souffle is going to taste delicious.
What Would Make You Think Your Porcelain Bowl is Not Oven Safe?
When you bought your new set of porcelain ramekins, you pictured your favorite recipes being served just like a professional chef.
But when you prepared your recipe and went to put it in your porcelain bowls, they looked like they may be too fragile to be put into the oven.
First, a little background on how this popular bakeware is created will help to relieve your fears.
How Exactly is Porcelain Created?
Ceramic bowls are created from clay. They are shaped, trimmed, and designs may be added along with a finishing glaze.
They are put into kilns that reach over 2000 degrees.
You would think that these bowls are automatically oven-safe, but the truth is, not all porcelain bowls are created equal.
When is a Porcelain Bowl Not Oven-Safe?
You can’t just assume that a porcelain bowl is oven safe because it is porcelain. Bowls that are labeled as being porcelain may have been created in different ways.
They may be listed as porcelain, but they could have been created with materials that do not make them as strong and sturdy as a real porcelain bowl.
Variations in the Design and Development
The processes that are used in the countries that produce most of the porcelain in the world can vary.
Sometimes it is the coating that glazes the final product that cannot withstand the heat.
The materials used and the firing of the bowls are what can end up meaning the bowl is porcelain but not totally oven-safe.
You may be able to warm up food to maybe 300 degrees but not able to bake foods at 450 or more.
Note: Just because a bowl is shown as being porcelain, don’t just assume that it can safely go in the oven.
Are Porcelain Bowls Oven Safe?
Don’t worry, you do have other options when it comes to baking in oven-safe bakeware.
While porcelain is considered one of the top products that are oven-safe, there are other types of cookware that are considered oven-safe.
You can easily put bowls made of glass, stainless steel, wood, copper, and silicone in the oven with no problem.
There may be a range of oven-safe products, such as when you put food on a plate to warm it up.
There is a big difference between warming something up at 200 to 300 degrees or baking a casserole at 350 to 450 degrees.
Note: Just because a bowl is shown as being porcelain, don’t just assume that it can safely go into the oven.
Choose Your Oven-Safe Bakeware Carefully
When you are looking for bowls that are oven safe, even if they are not porcelain, you should check the packaging.
If you still can’t locate the information check the website of the manufacturer of the product to see what temperatures they are safe at.
Just because something is oven-safe doesn’t mean you can just put it in the oven and it will not break. Some products are safe at lower temperatures.
Note: This does not mean that all items made from these products are safe to put in the oven. It would not be safe to put a drinking glass in the oven or it could crack under the heat.
How Can You Tell if a Porcelain Bowl is Oven Safe?
Okay, there are definite ways that you can tell if your porcelain bowl can take the heat.
1. All products that are safe to use in the oven will have the label “Oven Safe” or “Oven-Friendly” on the bottom.
2. The labels may also list the exact temperature level it can take, such as Oven Safe to 350 degrees.
3. Besides the oven-safe notation, you may see three squiggly lines that symbolize that the product is oven-safe.
4. The squiggly lines look like they are inside an oven and they are standing vertically.
Note: If a baking dish is definitely porcelain and is safe in the oven, you will be able to bake in the dish at temperatures that reach over 500 degrees.
What Are Some of the Top Makers of Oven-Safe Porcelain Bowls
Another way to tell if a porcelain bowl is safe to go into the oven is by checking the brand name
. There are many well-known companies that have a solid record of producing quality porcelain bakeware.
1. Hatrigo
Hatrigo Porcelain ramekins are oven safe to 450 degrees. These are perfect for making puddings and dessert specialties.
2. Yazylife
Yazylife ramekins are oven-safe and are used for souffles dishes as well as crème Brule.
3. Lifver
Lifver has porcelain soup bowls that are used for French onion soup. They can endure temperatures up to 425 degrees.
4. Dowan
Dowan ramekins are made for making crème Brule and are safe for baking at temperatures up to 482 degrees.
5. Delling
Delling has a set of 8 bowls that are geometric in shape and can take heated ovens up to 450 degrees.
All of these brands provide comprehensive information on their porcelain bowls. They are all oven-safe for baking desserts and other specialty foods.
The temperature levels are listed for each brand in their description of their product.
Note: Just because these brands were listed as some of the most popular does not mean they are the most expensive.
It is the way the product is made that counts.
What Will Happen if You Use a Porcelain Bowl That is Not Oven Safe?
Using a porcelain bowl in your oven that is not oven-safe could ruin your dessert as well as cause your porcelain bowl to break in half or shatter into a million little pieces.
Rather than dealing with a wasted dessert and having to clean up your oven, you are going to have to find new ramekins or dessert bowls to use for your future baking needs.
If a Bowl is Oven Safe Does That Mean it is Safe in the Microwave?
In almost every case, if a porcelain bowl is safe in the oven it is also safe enough for the microwave.
It will be listed in the details of the product online or in the product brochure. It may also have the microwave symbol underneath the bowl.
Even if Your Porcelain Bowl is Oven-Safe, What Should You Never Do?
Whenever you are dealing with cookware and high temperatures you should always remember to do one thing.
If you are taking food out of the refrigerator to put into the oven, make sure you let it set out and get to room temperature before subjecting it to high heat levels.
If you try to put the dish directly into the oven from the cold fridge It will cause thermal shock. This is when there is a shift in temperature in the bowl that will cause it to break.
Conclusion
It is safe to say that yes, most porcelain bowls are oven-safe. The thing you need to be sure of when you put the bowl into the oven is at what temperature is it safe to use.
A porcelain bowl can still be considered oven safe, but just at lower temperatures.
So, are porcelain bowls oven-safe? Yes, just make sure they can take the heat for your next creation.